Loving Jack (13 page)

Rachel shifted the baby from one breast to the other while Grace watched Anthony duck into the ridiculously cute pirate ship made for a handsome little pirate to climb and play on in his backyard.

“Was it because it was a guy?” Rachel asked without rancor. Grace only heard curiosity in the other woman’s voice. Grace actually chuckled.

“No, it had nothing to do with his bi-sexuality. I hated seeing him with women, but seeing him with men was more difficult. Not because I thought it was wrong, because I didn’t, I still don’t. It was because I couldn’t compete. Do you know hard it is to love a person and know that everyone is a threat to that love? It’s not just the girls you have to worry about, but the guys too. And trust me, Jack had no shortage of admirers.”

“No, I really can’t imagine how hard that would be,” Rachel admitted.

“Anyway,” Grace blinked away her agitating tears, “it wasn’t because he was kissing a guy that I was crushed. It was because Jack was kissing anyone other than me. He was my guy. I was devoted. He was jealous of my male friends, but I had to learn to live with him needing other people.”

“That prick,” Rachel growled.

“No, don’t be angry with him now. Jack was always honest with me. I was the one who let it continue. We were just too lopsided. In the end I took an internship in New York and did my best to forget him. So that’s our story,” she finished.

“And when he picked you up on Monday?” Rachel asked.

Grace blew out a puff of air that sent her hair flying. “On Monday he took me for breakfast. We were together for all of an hour before he had me in his arms.”

Rachel smiled at that and brought the baby up to her shoulder for a burp.

“It didn’t go beyond kissing, probably only because we were in public. Then he took me to Artifex and I haven’t seen him since.”

Now Rachel frowned and the baby let out a lusty burp, giving her opinion on the matter. “He’s such an asshole.”

Grace had to laugh at that. Rachel and Jack were like brother and sister. They adored each other one moment and cursed each other the next.

Rachel rose from her seat. Tony appeared on the veranda to take the baby and call Anthony in for a bath. Grace followed Rachel back into the house and into her home office. She opened a door on her sideboard and pulled a framed portrait and handed it to Grace.

“I put that picture away so Jack wouldn’t have to see it when he comes over,” Rachel explained.

It was a photograph of Jack standing out on the veranda she’d just been occupying. In the photograph was an extremely tall and ruggedly handsome man with a serious five o’clock shadow, stood with his arm around Jack. The man was a head taller than Jack, and Jack wasn’t a short man. The guy wore what she knew some would refer to as a wife-beater and a pair of jeans hung loosely on his lean hips. Jack looked like his usual perfectly manicured, impeccably dressed self. Jack was grinning happily into the camera. The other guy only had eyes for Jack, and the look of love in his eyes reminded Grace of the look Tony gave to Rachel. They were clearly together, and obviously very much in love. Grace wanted the ground to open up and swallow her so she didn’t have feel the pain coursing through her heart and mind.

“I don’t know what happened, because Jack refuses to talk about it, but he and Matthew broke up just over six months ago,” Rachel told her. “They were together for two years and on the verge of getting married. Matthew was going to sell his house and they were going to live in Jack’s much larger home. But something happened the day before the big move, and the marriage never happened. Matthew just disappeared from Jack’s life overnight."

Grace’s heart leapt and she felt like a total jerk for feeling happiness over something that had to have been painful for Jack.

“He hasn’t dated anyone that I know of since Matthew. So if you’re still interested in pursuing Jack, this may be your time to make a move.”

SIX

Grace sat in the garden area of the Fairmont Olympic just staring out at the fluffy clouds floating peacefully in the sky past the grand floor to ceiling windows. Bright morning sunshine filled the room and warmed her skin. It was too bad the sun’s rays couldn’t also warm that chilly spot in her chest. Grace had to make the decision of a lifetime and she still didn’t know what to do.
 

She’d risen early with the intent of doing some sightseeing, but Grace hadn’t been able to muster enough enthusiasm for anything more than a delicious breakfast of heirloom frittata at The Georgian Restaurant. Then she’d wandered from the restaurant over to the garden and there she’d sat for the last two hours.

The night before had been eye opening for Grace on several levels. First, and perhaps the most shocking, was that Grace wanted a family of her own, and she wanted it sooner than later. Her hectic existence in New York hadn’t allowed her the time to stop and think about what she really wanted from life. After one night with Rachel and her family, Grace knew she was ready for a different kind of hectic life now. Grace wanted the kind of chaos that came with being a wife and mother. Second, Grace knew that no matter what she decided about Artifex, she wouldn’t be taking the junior executive position at Stein and Watson. As grateful as she was for the opportunities that the company had provided her, Grace couldn’t go on living like a worker bee with no hope of ever being the queen. She’d become restless and unhappy in New York. It was time to move on. Third, Grace had to come to terms with the fact that no matter how desperately her heart ached for Jack, she would never find her “happily ever after” with him.

Rachel and Grace had debated the merits of Grace giving Jack a chance to get his head out of his ass before she gave up on him. Rachel was convinced that Jack was doing what he thought was the right thing for Grace and Artifex by staying away from her while she made a decision about taking the CEO position. Grace might have believed that before she’d seen the picture of the loving couple Jack and Matthew had been. Now she had trouble not comparing his current behavior to his behavior back when they were in school. Something Victor said to her on the day of Jack’s father’s funeral kept running around her mind.
 

“He occasionally gets a taste for pussy . . . It’s no big deal.”

Rachel believed Jack was gay, not bisexual, because she’d never seen him with a woman. In nearly six years of friendship and partnership he had never been seen with a woman. But Jack had kissed Grace and promised to do more. So what? Was that really a big deal? Not really. He’d probably remembered what a pain in the ass she’d been in college about sharing his affection and had thought better of being entangled with her again.
 

“He occasionally gets a taste for pussy . . . It’s no big deal.”

The advice Victor had given her so long ago was harsh, but from all that Grace had seen, it was true and good advice. She hadn’t listened back then. She would now.

Grace’s cell phone began to chirp a little tune in her purse, “Grace Yates,” she answered.

“Grace, it’s Rachel, good morning.” Rachel sounded bright eyed and bushytailed. With two kids, there probably weren’t many opportunities to sleep in.

“Good morning,” she replied.

“Hey, I was just wondering if you had any plans for tonight.” Rachel asked excitedly. “Tony’s mom is in town. She’s going to watch the babies tonight so Tony and I can go have a little fun.”

“That’s awesome, but don’t you guys want to be alone?” Rachel didn’t really want to be the third wheel.

“Nope! We love karaoke. So we’re going to a bar that’s pretty close to you. It’s like a Hawaiian vacation spot right here in Seattle! They have karaoke every day, plus awesome food and drinks. There will be a few other couples going as well. You should come along! I swear it’s so much fun!”

Rachel’s excitement was contagious. Grace laughed at her new friend. She’d never done anything like karaoke before, but she was a good singer in school. A night out with some new people who had no expectations of her actually sounded like a great idea to Grace.

“That sounds great. It’ll be my first time, so take it easy on me,” Grace said.

“What? A virgin? They’re the best! We’ll have a few drinks, do a duet or two, and then you’ll be ready to rock on your own,” Rachel giggled.

“Alright, I’m in.” Grace was getting excited now.

“We’ll pick you up at nine tonight.” They hung up and Grace finally moved from her garden sanctuary. Now she had a reason to go out. Grace was going to find a dress that made her feel like a rock star.

****

Grace set down her drink and applauded with the rest of the crowd when Tony and Rachel left the stage after singing
Leather and Lace
. She feared being bored or horrified watching people sing along to well-known songs, but she was having a great time. The Polynesian themed bar had an extremely relaxed atmosphere. The food was delicious and the drinks tasty. Rachel was drinking something blue out of a fish bowl. Grace had started with a Mai Tai. Several drinks later and Rachel and Tony were called to perform on stage. The crowd was really into the singing and dancing and even if the singers were really bad, as long as they involved the audience and looked like they were having fun, the audience ate it up.

Someone tapped Grace on the shoulder and she turned to find Will, one of the guys in their group holding out his hand to her. “Would you like to dance?” he asked with a sensual smile. They’d been chatting and getting to know each other. He was flirty without being over the top. Grace was thoroughly enjoying his company. Will was a sexy, confident man with a great sense of humor. He was a chef and a friend of Tony’s. She’d learned that he owned a small chain of successful fine dining establishments in cities along the west coast.
 

Grace took Will’s hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. The song playing had a good beat and Will had moves. She was laughing as he spun her around and Grace hoped she wasn’t flashing her thong to the room. On her shopping excursion earlier in the day she’d found a flirty cream colored baby doll dress with a wide turquoise ribbon under the breasts. It was cute, but a bit shorter than she liked on her long legs.
 

The song changed to a slower tune and Will pulled Grace close to his chest, wrapping an arm around her waist and smiling down at her. The crowd on the floor thinned out a bit as a very talented young lady began to sing
Unforgettable
.

“How long will you be in town, Grace?” Will brushed his check against hers. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before she answered. His hold on her body was a little too familiar for a man she just met, but Grace didn’t protest. She knew if her head wasn’t such a mess she’d be enjoying his attention more.

“I haven’t decided. I have two weeks before I need to be back in New York, but I’ve done what I came here to do. I might go home and visit my family while I have the time, maybe even hit the beach for a week,” she replied.

“So you’ve made a decision regarding Artifex?” he asked looking into her eyes. Grace raised an eyebrow. He smiled, “Tony told me Rachel is hoping you’ll be her new partner in the business.”

“No, I haven’t made a decision yet, but I’ve learned enough to know Artifex is a solid company worth taking a risk on. That didn’t take long to figure out. Rachel and Jack have a bright future ahead of them. All they need is a little more structure in their investment portfolio and someone to competently run the finance department. I’m just not sure if that person should be me, and if not, I have a friend in mind for them to consider for the job. I just need to work out some personal issues before I make a final decision.”

That’s when she saw Jack. He was standing on the edge of the dance floor staring daggers through the back of Will’s head. Grace was instantly transported back in time. Jack was stunning in his casual black slacks and grey shirt open at the throat. Jack’s body had matured into a broader, more substantial frame with age and the muscle he’d put on made him even more alluring. His blond hair was styled in a less orderly fashion that was reminiscent of their youth. They made eye contact and Jack’s nose flared like a bull about to charge. His changeable hazel eyes were as dark as storm clouds when their eyes met and held.

Unaware of Jack’s presence, Will leaned in to nuzzle her cheek and said against her ear, “I’d love to get to know you better, Grace. Give me a chance to help convince you to relocate to Seattle.”

Seeing the brush of Will’s lips on Grace’s face, Jack stepped onto the floor just as the song ended and Grace stepped out of Will’s arms. Seeing the storm brewing, Tony grabbed Jack’s arm and said something Grace couldn’t hear in an attempt to stop his wife’s partner from pummeling his friend. Rachel rushed on to the floor and hooked her arm with Grace’s and dragged her toward the stage.

“It’s our turn to sing.” Rachel peeked over her shoulder. “Holy shit! I’ve never seen Jack react to anything that way,” Rachel said as she handed Grace a microphone. The song they were going to sing wasn’t a duet but they were singing together since it was Grace’s first time. She looked across the crowd and saw Tony talking to a stony-faced Jack. Will was on the other side of the table looking unimpressed by Jack’s temper.

“Did you know he was coming?” she asked Rachel.

“Hell no! He was being an ass and avoiding you. So I didn’t tell him we were going out. Apparently he went to the hotel to look for you and decided to check my place when you weren’t there. My mother-in-law told him where to find us.” She looked angry as she looked over to where all three of the men had finally settled to watch the girls perform.